On Thursday February 11th, I attended “Crossover Day” at the General Assembly in Richmond – the day that the Senate and House exchange with each other the bills passed by the respective chambers. The bills “cross over” from one side of the General Assembly to the other.
I took advantage of my day in Richmond to meet with our elected representatives. They graciously updated me on where things stand with proposed legislation that affects the City of Fredericksburg.
Some bills have already failed, while others survived Crossover and will be decided before the General Assembly session ends in mid-March. Now is the time to reach out to your elected representatives: State Senator Bryce Reeves and Delegate Joshua Cole or Delegate Mark Cole (yes, Fredericksburg is represented by two “Coles”. What are the odds?) and make your voices heard about the issues important to you.
Representatives from our City government attended Localities’ Legislative Day in Richmond on February 6th. Previously, agenda items on our “wish list” were transmitted to State elected officials by the Virginia Municipal League (VML).
At the February 11th City Council meeting, City Attorney Kathleen Dooley provided a status update on the VML agenda, including:
--- Number One on the City’s priority list is funding from the State’s Water Quality Improvement Fund (WQIF). This directly relates to current negotiations between City and Spotsylvania County officials to consolidate three current wastewater treatment plants into a shared, updated facility in Massaponax. (see my article on that topic here)
--- The VML also supported a regional, public funding approach to paying for services designed to help troubled youths and their families, known as the Childhood Services Act (CSA). This Bill had wide bipartisan support, including both of our House delegates, but Del. Joshua Cole tells me that the bill is killed every year in the Appropriations Committee. We need to make passing this bill a priority next year.
The City also sought authority from the General Assembly to regulate disposable plastic bags. Several bills related to this option were submitted this session. Two survived the Crossover: HB 1151 and SB 11. The House Bill allows localities to impose a $.05 per bag tax; the Senate Bill requires it for Planning District 8 (Northern Virginia) but makes it optional for Fredericksburg. Both bills are in committee as of February 15th. Stay tuned to see what happens next.
House Bill 585 is on the Governor’s desk, having passed both the House and Senate. This bill is a requirement that each city with a population greater than 20,000 (that’s us!) and each county with a population greater than 100,000 incorporate into the next scheduled review (and all subsequent reviews) of its comprehensive plan, strategies to promote transit-oriented development for the purpose of reducing greenhouse gas emissions through coordinated transportation, housing, and land use planning. It’s a good time to contact Governor Northam and urge him to sign this important piece of legislation.
As a member of City Council, I will be closely involved in State legislative affairs that affect the City of Fredericksburg. Our elected representatives need to hear from individual constituents and from community leaders so they can be better advocates for their District’s needs.
